Historically, solid stick products have been used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries for their convenience and ease of application over creams or lotions. The conventional solid stick is anhydrous and is composed largely of oils and waxes. The waxes are needed to achieve a rigid structure to permit the stick to stand upright and the oils are required to plasticize the waxes to allow mass release to the skin. Coloring agents or other active ingredients are incorporated in the oil and wax base.
Anhydrous sticks have the disadvantage of applying large quantities of oil and wax to the skin, thus producing a heavy lardy feel to the skin. This is a negative feeling but one previously thought necessary because of the waxy ingredients needed to produce a rigid stick.
Recently, cyclic or volatile silicones have been utilized as emollients in cosmetic or pharmaceutical products. The silicones have been used in place of the conventional plasticizing oils and after application to the skin, the silicone evaporates leaving a wax/color or active ingredient matrix on the skin. The evaporative effect is less occlusive than the conventional oil/wax matrix and thus is more comfortable to the user. While the use of silicones as an ermollient represents an improvement over earlier technology, the final feed on the skin is still heavy and waxy after the volatile silicone evaporates from the skin.